Carney Fighting Fit and Eager For Return

Qantas Socceroo winger David Carney returns as his Dutch side FC Twente chase the title.

David Carney is eyeing a start in Sunday evening-s crucial Eredivisie home match against Feyenoord, just months after suffering a near season-ending injury.

The FC Twente winger dislocated his shoulder at training just prior to Christmas, but with the World Cup approaching he tried to persist.

However when his shoulder continually slipped out of place doing something as innocuous as shooting, he and the medical team knew it was time to go under the knife.

Carney made his league return in the mid-week loss to AZ Alkmaar, just title-chasing Twente-s second loss of the season. With one point separating them and second-place Ajax and just two games left, the race will go down to the wire.

“I-m hoping I might get a start, it-s a huge game for us,-- Carney told footballaustralia.com.au.

“We-ve only got two games to go but we-re in a position where we can win the league and it would be great to win it.

“It (the shoulder) felt good the other night against AZ. I actually played Feyenoord in the cup a few weeks ago and I had two reserve games. While it felt good I was still a bit hesitant.

“But it was just mental and now I-m fine. I feel the rehab went well and I-m backing myself. I feel like I-m at that level and I feel sharp.--

Carney-s dislocated shoulder was also fractured and he underwent a full reconstruction.

The former Sydney FC winger spent six weeks back in Australia, four of those with his arm in a sling, but a solid rehab meant he was only sidelined for three months.

“I did the injury in training but I kept going. The next day I woke up and I could barely move my arm, then after some antibiotics it felt fine. But a couple of weeks later the shoulder kept coming out, even when I was shooting,-- he said.

“It was my right shoulder and because I am a left footer, it was causing me lots of problems.

“I thought about continuing on through the pain barrier, but in hindsight if I didn-t get it done I wouldn-t be playing at my maximum now.

“If it kept coming out, I would-ve kept playing with it because the World Cup is a once in a lifetime chance. But the Christmas break was an opportunity to get it sorted and I-ve had the break and now I-m thankful.--

And although Carney was starting to hit some form and nearing a regular first team start prior to his injury, with almost two months before the Qantas Socceroos- World Cup opener against Germany, he has ample time to get himself match fit.

“I feel pretty good, in terms of match fitness I could do with more games but I feel like I-m fresh and I-m hungry, which is really important at this stage,-- he said.

“I-ve never worked harder on my fitness and even when I-ve played reserves I-ve done a full session the next day and the training is pretty hard here.--